Those of you who receive copies of “Allotment and Leisure Gardener” the National’s quarterly magazine
may have seen the Chairman’s Comments section in issue 2 2016 (page 5). There
were certain elements in that piece that seem to have relevance to the
situation here in Bolton.
We reproduce it below, with some of our comments in italics, the National’s Management Committee Chairman – Tony Heeson wrote:-
“Unfortunately, we are still hearing of local
authorities that are attempting to make their allotment ‘Service’ cost neutral.
This is essentially the case in Bolton with
its ‘balanced budget’ which equates spending to the amount brought in in rents.
Bolton would argue that the balance is only on ‘direct costs’ and that the (unquantified)
costs of administrative and clerical time represent a subsidy. Certain of our
members have disputed this, perhaps there is a case for a Freedom of
Information Request to gain more information?
The usual way is to hike the rents up by ridiculous
amounts (this is not the case in
Bolton where rent increases have been kept in line with inflation. The National’s
recent Survey suggest that Bolton’s rents are on the cusp between the top of
the lower block of 59% (£20-£50 p.a.) and the bottom of the second lowest block
of 16% (£50-£80 p.a.) ) or encourage sites to become self-managed
or under devolved management (OMAs
may loosely fit under devolved management) depending on the politics
or fashion of the moment; all attempts to reduce the costs to the LA. Personally
I am a big believer in self-management, but I have been around long enough to
know that it is not a panacea and is not suitable for all occasions and
situations.
We are now hearing of local authorities that are
looking to commercial companies, although if the authority cannot run it at a
small costs to the ratepayers, I don’t see how a commercial enterprise that by
its very nature, has to make a profit, can hope to provide such a service.
Others have reportedly asked voluntary organisations such as community groups
to undertake the work. Have they the ability and can volunteers provide the
amount of effort to run a number of sites that could encompass hundreds of
plots, or do they think it will be easy and that profits they make from the
rents will enrich their coffers? Are they aware of statutory and temporary
sites? Do they know of the many acts concerning allotments and where are they
going to get such advice when it is needed? Are they in fact capable of the
day-to-day management of such an enterprise? Self-management by allotment
federations (for example) has been seen to work successfully, (in
Bolton this would mean abas) but others including voluntary
groups have failed. Are the local authorities aware that as Landlord Paramount
they cannot absolve their responsibilities along with the lease? If the new
landlord fails or other such problems occur then the LA still has to pick up
the pieces. They should do, as has already happened, and it could be at a very
high cost.
We have had assurances from the
Council that ‘the Allotment Service’ is not on any current agenda for major
restructuring, the basic argument seems to be that costs have been cut to the
bone and the likely return to the Council from further action would have
negligible effect. This is in a way reassuring but it has meant that (for
example) the idea of taking allotment site self-management to the Bolton Innovation
Fund was deemed a non-starter (no savings to the Council to be demonstrated).
In the past there have been unsubstantiated rumours about transfer to Bolton-at-Home
or the Lancashire Wildlife Trust but that is all it has been, rumours.
The Abas Committee’s views on
self-management echo the National Chair’s, in principle we find it attractive,
in practice the problems loom very large, and we are currently supporting the Council’s
middle way (OMAs).
The Chair of the National’s Management Committee’s piece
raises a number of points and a number of fears (without it must be said
proposing any solutions or ways forward). How do members feel about what’s
being said? Let us know.
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